Gate-latch.



0. T. COLBY. GATE LATCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I0. 1915.

I Patented Mar. 7,1916.

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centres '12. common 'zrnonr, WISCONSIN.

I GATE-LATCH.

7.eppllcationfile lflarqhgm, 19 15. Serial No.13,427'.

citizen fofthe United I'States', residing ';at

Thorp, in' thecountygof Clarkand State of .Wisc'onsin, have? inventedcertain :new and I useful Improvements in "GateLatches, of

which thecfollowing is a. specification.

. This invention relates to doors, gates and'. "the like; and more,particularly .to anewand improved latch means 'therefor.

The primary object of. my invent on re-' sides in the provision. of alatch which will 7' automatically, unlock when force tending to open thegate or'door is applied to the;

handlestherejof. 1

A: further object of my invent on resldes in the provisionof a,peculiarly. constructed handle means foroperating the latch, and a gzof.peculiar.strike, the latch means being so connected with the "handlesthat the same is automatically disengaged from the strike when thehandles are grasped to 3 open the door or gate.

A. San further-object .of myin enaon is to attain theiabove-set forthobjects with a structure Wl'llCh i'S s'iinple,lcheap to manu facture,efl'ectiye in operatiomand one'which I is strong and durable andreadilyapplicable to use in connection with the various. forms of doorsnow in. common use;

' Another valuablefeature o'flmy invention resides in the fact thatsagging of the door to which the; device is applied istaken care of bythe peculiar construction provided.

. thy-invention resides preferably in-the con-- With? the aboveand'other objects in view struction, combination, and arrangement ofparts'as' hereinafter set forth infthe specifi-- cation andillustratedin the accompanying drawings, in; which- Figure 1 is afragmentary front elevation of a ,door andidoor frame showing theapplication of my. improved latch. Fig; 2 is a top plan View. partlycinsection of the same. Fig.

' 7 Similar similar parts throughout the variousviews is a detail' viewof the-handle member'detached. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of an improved protective casing \vhichI provide. reference "characters indicateof the drawings.

. Referring; more particularly to the drawings in Whichthe preferredembodiment of my invention is illustrated, the numeral 1 Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

- indicates the door, gate, or the like, which is preferably of thehinge type, and aportion of thedoor frame "is designated2. My improvedlatch means comprises three com .ponent. parts, namely; a latch member,an

operating handle, and spring means for returning the latchto a normalposition. The handle member comprises preferably a strand of wirehavingjone ofits'extremities jformed to provide one handle portion 3,the intermediate portion of said strand of wire jbei'ng offset toprovide a second handle por-' tion 4,-and bearing portions 5 and 6:adjacentsaid handle portion 4.. The otheij extremity of the strandofwire is bent to form a. crank portion 7. The above described 1 structureis mounted vertically for rotation in bearing brackets 8 and9 which areadapted to'receive the rotatable support orbearwhich forms the operatingmeans. The

' brackets 8 and 9 are providedwith feet 10 "and 11, respectively, whichfacilitate securement of the "same to. the face of the door 1.

A portion '6' of the strand of wire extends througlian elongated slot 12inthe door 1 so that the handle portion 3" is disposed ,on one sideof'the door and the handle portion 4 on the'opposite side thereof. Inorder to prevent vertical movementv of the operating over the crankportion "7. The said arm 1a is mounted intermediate its length in 'aguide bracket 16 carried by a base plate 17 bolted,

or otherwise secured tothe door 1. Thearm. 1 L is slidably' mounted insaid "bracket 16 'ing portions 5 and 6 ofthe strand of wire and theouter extremity of saidarm 14 is bentlaterally to provide a.substantially right angular portionlS having an enlargement forming anengagmg pawl 19 on the extremity thereof.

.- L The latch. as a whole. has been shown in normal locked position,this being acco1nplishc-"l by means of a rctractile spring 20, oneextremity of said spring 20 being secured in a guide bracket 21 boltedor ther- 25 i by depressing the memr'or the plate 26 along this marginaledge so as to'provide a wise secured 22 to theiioor1 and'the oppositeextremity f said retractile spring is connected through the medium of aguide rod 23 at 24: to the crank portion 7 as shown to advantage inFigs. 1 and 2. "One' ex-' tremity of the" guide rod 23 is mountedfforthan the width of the latch member; 14 so that a'slight lost motion maybe'allowed for the same owing to the ,arcuate path'of travel HTthe'door' frame 2 for, engagemfitbfthe of the crank 7 and the same might,besaid of the guide bracket 21 relativeito the guide rod23.

Any suitable means may be provided on extremity of the latch-arm 1'4,butLhave proyideda strike which consists of an elon gated plate 26secured byscrews or the llke 27 to the door f r ame 2l Thesaid plate 26is provided with a central aperture 28 reg1s-' 'te'ring'withfanaperture' 29 formed in the door frame 2; O ne marginal edge 0ft 2aperture 28 is rounded as indicated at 30 shoulder against which thepawlportion 1 9 that the-strike 'plate 26"isvertically disposed on the doorframe 2 and iso'f a relaof the latch armla mayengage as shown toadvantage in Fig. .2. Itw'ill be noted tiveiy great length; "Thisprovides for the sagging ofthe cloor,yw arping .or similar other defectswhich-the'action of the elements cause, as it will'be seen that should Ithe door sag, the extremity of. the latch arm 14 will, nevertheless,engage at all times with the distorted 'ed'ge'SO' so that the door 40may be effectively locked regardless of its sagging, which under "otherconditions would render useless the latch? stcod that its uses are' notat alljlimited,

. but it will be; found is adapted 5 to be 'secur ed above the retrac--vcnt the weather nectlons.

applied to a door, it willbe readily 'underfor use in connection withbarn doors, silo doors, gates,

and the like, wherein the same are very often exposed to the severest"weather conditions.

, It is thought that the construction, 'operation. and advantages of myinvention may "be readily gathered from theabove descrips the dottedarc,

tion taken in connection'with the a'cc'om panying drawings and it willbe noted that. by graspmg the handle 1 and directing a pull thereon to.open the door'gjthe said lian dle 4 will move lnfftlle directiondescribed by causing the crank portion impart 1 "different, that is,

having a cran tile spring 20 by screws 32, or, otherwise, so l as toafi'ordan 'incl'osing chamber to pref fronrru' sting the con I -"latchmember. thereon, of an operatingmemparticularlj' adapted J-latchm'emberand a spring acting upon said crank and said pivot.

' ed on the gate,

'lirust to t ne arm 14, causing the'same to move to the dotted posltionshown in Fig. --2, thereby unlocking the same and allowing the door tobe opened. Upon releasing the handle 4, the retractile spring 20 willdraw'the latch arm 14 back into the to latch the door or gate,,as thecase may position shown in Figs. 1 and'2. In order I by, it is onlynecessary to swing the same iazto closed position, the pawl portion 19riding over the edge 30, the retractile spring 29 again acting uponthesame to enforce positive engagement of the-pawl portion 19 with thesaid edge 30." The operation from the other. side of the door will beslightly I the handle 3 vmust be grasped ,and'moved inthedirectionindicated by the dotted arc, and will perform the samefunction as thehandle {1;

I While I have shown and described my invention-as possessing a-pecnliarform and construction, it isdesi-red that it be understood that]: maymake such changesin the details thereof that do not dpartfrom the spiritand scope of the invention-as claimed. Having thus deseribed myinvention what I claimand desirev to secure by Letters Patent is. i H

" 1. A gate latch, including, in combination "with'a gate, a latcharmreciprocally mount- 'withforpivotal engagement with saidlatch arm,"said "spring being connected adjacent "the jointure of said crank withsaid latch arm, andmeans for supporting said handles to operatelaterally of the door.

2. A gatelatch including, in combination with a gate, a latchmemberslidable on the gate, spring retracting means therefor, and I providear'protectrve c'as1ng13l w-h1ch'" Q The combination with a gate and aher formed of a strand of wire having handle portions and a crankportion, said crank portion having pivotal engagement with the 4. A gatelatch, including, in combination with a gate, 'a latch arm reciprocallymountan operating member there-, for vertically jou'rnaled on the gateand provided witha pair offmanipulat-ing zliandles extending on oppositesides of the gate, and

a crank formed integral withone endr-of the operating member.

A gate latch, including, in combination with a gate, a latcharmreciprocally mounted on the gate, an operating member therefor formed ofa single strand of wire bent to form handle portions and journalporconnection with a retraotile spring as and ticns, said operatingmember being vertifor the purpose set forth. 10 sally journaled on thegate and provided In testimony whereof I tiffix my signature with acrank portion, the handle portions in presence of two Witnesses.

thereof extending on opposite sides of the CORLISS T. COLBY. gate, said;crank portion being connected Witnesses: r with said imchmemher, and. alink conneot- J08;v KLAUDA, Jr.,

ed with said orank portion, said link having MICHAEL LESMEWSKI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. 0."

